Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The Capacity to Love Like God

Last night, Tim Keller was in town, again. I know there is nothing but rebuke for those of us who were not in attendance. We had Bible study in our home for young adults, so hopefully, we can be forgiven. Believe it or not, I learned something critical out from under his teaching. A major insight came full circle for me this morning (after our study last night). But, I do have to say it originally started with the teaching of Tim Keller just over a year ago.

I struggle with the fear of losing my children. When I heard Keller speak in Memphis last year, he said we are anxious because we love things, people, etc. more than we love God. I was overwhelmed with conviction and have repented many times over since then because my children are my idol. I previously blogged about this. http://theacufffamily.blogspot.com/2011/01/struggling-with-fear.html

Last night we were studying from The Gospel-Centered Life, and this is when the above meditations came full circle for me:

...It is through the gospel that God sends his indwelling Holy Spirit into us, transforming our hearts and enabling us to truly love God and others. As a result of our justification by faith, "God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us" (Rom. 5:5). We commonly read the phrase "the love of God" in this verse as God's love for us. But contextually and linguistically this phrase also has the sense of "love from God" or "love for God." Because God loves us, he has poured into our hearts his own capacity to love and delight in himself. Jesus prayed that the very love that God the Father has for his Son would be in us: "I have made you known to them...in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them" (John 17:26). The Gospel-Centered Life

(Underline and bold emphasis mine)

So, these are my thoughts: I fear when I love my children (and other things or people) more than I love God. My desire is to love God more. It is a struggle daily. But, knowing that God has given me His own capacity to love Him by the Holy Spirit is incredible! We can't will ourselves to love him more. We can't "do" enough, but He has given himself to us to love him more in the same way he loves us. He loves us enough to make us delight in Him. Mind-boggling. That we have that capacity to love Him is mind-boggling to me! We should never fear again. That is full-circle. And so begins the cycle...